Red-tailed Hawk

Around the end of March I spotted this Red-tailed Hawk. There's no obvious red tail here (the tree obstructs the view, though the lighting may not have showed red anyway), but this is a sturdy-looking raptor with an impressive belly band, making the identification fairly easy. Most of the Red-tailed Hawks around me have the belly band, though on some of them it's pale enough that you might miss it under sub-optimal viewing conditions.

As they are our most common non-vulture, non-owl raptor, most of the hawk/falcon/eagle-like birds that you see probably turn out to be Red-tails. Look for a burnt-orange tail and/or the belly band, and if either is present you've probably got your identification.

March 31, 2021 at Duke Farms


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